2014 was the most exciting year so far in my career as a growing commercial photographer. The food and beverage industry in photography is very competitive and I feel very honored to have had the opportunities I've had so young in the field.
I can only grow from where I'm now and continue to set goals for myself and be influenced by others around me. I'm ready for 2015 and what it has to bring!
This year has been so amazing, and this is the perfect way to end it with my 2nd cookbook that just came out! I was able to photograph Vegan Casseroles by Julie Hasson. The cookbook consisted of recipes involving Pasta Bakes, Gratins, and Pot Pies. I was amazed at how flavorful and beautiful these dishes came out. Vegan food is something not everyone is comfortable with. I love food and it would be very hard for me to live a vegan lifestyle but these dishes were really amazing. If you've never tried a vegan dish this is the cookbook you would want to find a recipe.
Link to cookbook
Here's a lasagne dish from the vegan cookbook
I was super pumped when I found out Rex Goliath wanted to hire me for shooting their sangria line. I worked directly with the advertising agency in upstate New York and remotely with the west coast client Rex Goliath. Also creating this B.T.S. video was great way to show the client how my team and I work on a shoot and what it takes to get the shot. The images we created were for P.O.S. advertising nationally that would be released over the course of 2015.
We did a Cinco De Mayo, Spring/Summer, and Fall/holiday scenario. The Cinco De Mayo and Summer setup would be utilizing the same lighting as well as using the duratrans I had made to simulate an outdoor feel. Working on location is not always possible especially this time of year so being creative in the studio can really set you apart. The Fall theme images would have a moodier lighting setup and warmer tones and we did that by gelling and flagging some lights. Choosing a food and prop stylist was very important for such a large brand and going through Big Leo to find those people I were familiar with really made a difference. In the end the client loved all the images and bought usage for some additional selects which was a very good sign :)
Check out this BTS video and see some of the final shots on my site!
Food Stylist: Carrie Purcell
Prop Stylist: Beth Flatley
I love getting magazine work because the creative direction can really be left up to the photographer. The staff had a general direction they wanted to go but otherwise I was the creative director. This was for a story on side dishes for the holidays. The staff had pulled recipes from their own backgrounds and had us cook them and photograph them. My chef for this job had everything organized and flew right through them. It gave me more flexibility to find interesting angles and textiles to incorporate into the shots. I think my favorite recipe from the list was the Spinach Gratin. It was this cheesy, hot spinach mixture that smelled amazing!
Below are a couple shots from the shoot. Happy Holidays!
I had the opportunity to photograph Culture Cheese Magazine's upcoming Winter issue on Crème Fraîche. This cream can be applied to many dishes sweet or savory. The article I photographed and styled by Lisa Russell contained sweet and savory dishes such as twice baked sweet potatoes and Sticky Gingerbread Cake with Whipped Crème Fraîche. Below is just a couple shots that will be featured in the upcoming issue. Enjoy!
The holidays are coming up and I thought I should share this easy, tasty recipe that will help you use leftover pumpkin puree from your soup and pie recipes you've made for the family.
Ingredients:
-1 cup pumpkin puree
-3 cups rolled oats
-3 tbs brown sugar (dark or light)
-1 tbs cinnamon
-1 tbs pumpkin pie spice
-1 egg white
-1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
-1 tsp vanilla
-Any additional nuts or dried berries can be added, I had almonds on hand so I used them.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
-Mix 3 cups rolled oats and 1 cup almonds with 3 tbs brown sugar, 1 tbs cinnamon, and 1 tbs pumpkin pie spice and set aside.
-Separately mix one egg white with 1 cup pumpkin puree, 1/3 cup honey, and 1 tsp of vanilla.
-Combine dry ingredients and pumpkin mixture; mix till coated.
-Spread on baking pan and bake for 45-50 minutes mixing between every 15min. Let rest for 20min then serve.
It has finally hit shelves and I couldn't be happier! A year in the making working with the publishing company Running Press. This could of not been possible without my awesome team:
Prop Stylist- Lisa Russell
Food Stylist- Brian Croney
Author- Ellen Brown
Networking and getting your work out there to the creative public is an ongoing process. I'm excited to announce I have a live portfolio on the Behance network. You can find my recent work and projects in the works.
SITE: https://www.behance.net/perrettiphoto
I've known Chef Chris for awhile now but have not had the opportunity to work together! We found time to collaborate on a fun project anyone could enjoy; ice cream :)
We discussed prior to the shoot date on what we wanted to accomplish. The type of ice cream, using real and fake ice cream, as well as the look and feel of each shot. Chris's amazing talent of making fake ice cream made for some great shots.
Food Stylist: Chris Koch
Maglio Fresh Foods; a Philadelphia based company in south philadelphia that makes their own sausage and meatballs. Really a quality product! I actually met the Maglio brothers when I was in high school. It was at one of my first part time jobs working for a local marketing firm trying to figure out what type of photography I want to pursue... It was a small project for the firm but a huge opportunity for me to show them what I could do. Long story short it went great, and they used the photos.
Today as a food photographer I will never forget my first introduction to food photography and how that one instance really shaped my life and the idea of being a commercial food photographer. Everything comes around and I just happen to be thinking of those guys and thought I should reach out! They were actually getting ready to re-brand themselves with some new products and needed new photography. It was perfect timing, and once again they loved the photos!
Food styling by Adam Fergurson
This is a follow up post from the photo shoot of La Colombe coffee with CEO Todd Carmichael. I wanted to share the published article with the image the editors chose. Enjoy! :)
I was approached by international magazine HOPS for their New York issue where they were covering the culture of the bustling city and the beer scene. They chose to interview, dine, and drink with brew master Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery.
It was an amazing opportunity for such a unique personal sit down dinner with Garrett at the prestigious NoMad restaurant. (While we were there Robin Roberts and Barbara Walters walked in). He brought several brews of his that are still in early testing stages so it was really interesting to order the food and try different pairings with his new beers. The variety and flavors were unmatched by other beers. There was strong flavors paired well with the stronger, meatier dishes. We started out with lighter dishes that paired nicely with the crispy beers. It was a dining experience I will never forget and I have the photos to remember it by.
Being apart of the Art Directors Club is really an amazing opportunity and this feature is just one of the reasons I love being apart of it.
The other week I had a fun shoot up at the Poconos at the new Guy Fieri's Mt. Pocono Kitchen that opened in the Mount Airy Casino Resort. We had the local hospitality group there, along with the Art Director from SK+G on the west coast and Guy Fieri’s personal food stylist from New York City.
Dessert Option: Cheesecake rolled in potato chips and pretzels, drizzled with chocolate syrup
Guy Fieri’s style was not overlooked at the location; the menu items were done big and tasty. The interior details of his style you could see throughout. Definitely a hot spot for friends to hang and still serve a family crowd.
We had planned to photograph the restaurants menu items as well as some ambiance shots of people dining. The official opening of the restaurant is not until September where Guy Fieri himself will be visiting.
Here’s a behind the scenes look at a recent shoot in New York for Kellogg’s packaging for some of their international brands. We were re-creating the look and feel of some packaging with more of a natural “foodie” look that’s trending in the market right now. Working with Deb Donahue my prop stylist and Dyne Benner a food stylist we had great options for bowls and surfaces. Also re-creating a milk pour with modern motion was fun. Having enough cereal for these type of images is a must. My assistant took some iPhone grabs of me working as well as cereal prepping.
As well as
Being 4th of July ; day representing our freedom the most American thing to do is eat hot dogs and ice cream so these things top my list!
Just getting back from a much needed vacation in Kitty Hawk, NC with the family. I certainly had my fair share of hots dogs and ice cream.
Honey and Cinnamon ice cream with Reese's Pieces
Like any professional photographer you should never stop creating and making work your passionate about. I always have a list of personal projects and ideas I want to create. Some work out and others may not, that’s why you constantly are practicing. My personal project Transformation that I created earlier this year was definitely one of the more unique projects I did. I’ve seen frozen food photographed before but I wanted to take it to a different level and incorporating my opinion of the frozen food culture we live in. I’m certainly a fresh food eater but sure there are times I just don’t have the time and can depend on some frozen spinach but I feel it shouldn’t be the norm. Amy Wolff, photo editor of PDN saw my project and thought it was really fun and worth sharing on their blog; Photo Of The Day. They have a great article to pair it with that really spoke on the same level.
Hope you had the chance to check it out! You can see more of the project at my Transformation link on my website and archived on PDN Photo of The Day: http://potd.pdnonline.com/2014/06/27425
I’m a huge coffee drinker. Don’t start my day without a cup! When I was asked to photograph Todd Carmichael for Imbibe I was thrilled. Not only is he the CEO of La Colombe but he is a world explorer. He holds the world speed record for crossing the Antarctic on foot in 39 days, 7 hours, and 49 minutes. He is seen on the Travel Channel and a author. Needless to say he was a interesting guy. Photographing him in his element while sipping on the various brews of coffee he has produced and their newly released coffee rum was an experience.
La Colombe cafes can be found in Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, D.C., and Seoul.
To top off the trip I got some of his La Colombe roasts, their cold brewed coffee, and their signature chocolate made with Eclat in West Chester!
http://www.lacolombe.com/
Part of running a business is to grow your business and add value to your “product.”
This is a very exciting time in my business where I’ve increased the quality of my photography making me more valuable to the client. I’ve purchased a medium format camera system that creates images you could never get with a simple DSLR camera. The color bit depth is incomparable, and the incredible detail in the image with the increased megapixel captures are just some of the simple differences but huge game changers in being a professional photographer. I know my clients present and future will instantly see the difference in what I can offer them and in the long run create beautiful images.
http://www.phaseone.com/en/Camera-Systems/IQ2-Series/IQ2-Features.aspx
3 medium red skin potatoes(depends how many you want to make)
oil/Pam spray
Seasonings
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Thinly slice(or use a mandolin slicer) your potatoes, do not use ends.
Lay out the potato slices without overlapping onto your oiled sheet tray.
Sprinkle generously over the potatoes your choice of seasonings.
I used, salt, pepper, oregano, Old Bay seasoning, and Paprika.
Put into the oven and bake for 20 min or until golden brown, flip over a couple times during process.
After they are done lay out on a paper towel to dry any excess oil.
Serve!
Dip
Sour Cream(This is quick and easy if you have left over sour cream from another recipe)
-Cumin
-Paprika
-Pepper/Salt to taste
Mix the sour cream in with paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper until spicy and tasty.
